Vault-head.



A. W. KURZ.

VAULT HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1911.

1,087,243. Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. W. KURZ.

VAULT HEAD.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 4, 1911.

1,087,243, Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AUGUST W. KURZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VAULT-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 4, 1911.

Patented Feb. 1'7, i914.

Serial No. 658,460.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUoUsr XV. KURZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Bronx, city, county, and State of Xcw York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Vault-Heads, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line I-I of Fig. 3; Fi 2 a similar view showing the lid in its raised position; Fig. a plan view; Fig. 4 a vertical sectional view showing a slightly different con slruction of vault head; Fig. 5 a similar view showing the lid raised; Fig. (5 a vertical sectional view of another slight modification; and Fig. i a detail vertical sectional view on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of structures which are designed to close subterranean vaults or basins, or sewer entrances and the like, and are pro vided with lids or covers having a bodily lateral displacing movement. The structures are known as vault heads.

tine of the many objects of the invention is to provide a structure wherein the lid is loosely but wrmanently interlocked in the frame of the head, and is so mounted that it may be turned up on lugs or trunnions to a substantially vertical position at one end of the head, said lid in such position preferably forming an upright guard for the manhole or vault opening.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of this class of devices whereby the lid may be easily swung to its vertical position and then moved laterally to one of the side walls of the head, and there held in its guarding position in such a manner that it must be disengaged before it can be moved by a laterally applied force toward the center of the head.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a structure of the character indicated which shall be simple and inexpensive as regards construction; durable, efiicient and reliable in practical service; which shall embody features of construction insuring a novel operative relation between the main member of the device and the lid therefor; which shall be attractive in appearance, and which shall possess certain well-defined advantages over prior analogous structures.

In a general sense my invention comprises a main member forming a manhole and a lid therefor, the latter spanning said manhole Under normal conditions, and being at all times interlocked with said member in a manner to permit the bodily movement of the lid from one position to another on said main member, but to prevent its complete removal or disconnection therefrom.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, l designates the horizontal supporting plate or flange through which is formed a manhole opening; and around said opening is formed an upstanding frame 2, said frame and flange constituting the main member.

For spanning the manhole opening I employ a lid 4, which in this instance is illustrated as approximating the form of a grate to permit of the free passage of water therethrough. Under normal conditions the lid is supported by lugs 5 which are formed preferably integral with the frame on the inner side walls thereof. These lugs may be formed at various points on the frame, but are preferably located at the corners, as shown in the drawings, and are so placed that the upper surface of the lid is, preferably, substantially tlush with the upper surface of the frame when the lid is in its normal position on said lugs.

At opposite edges of the lid there are formed outwardly projecting lugs 7 which are preferably cast integral with the lid, and which are adapted to extend into the sockets or slots 8 formed in opposite side walls of the main member of the manhole. The purpose of the said lugs and slots or recesses therefor, being at all times to loosely interlock the said two members.

The lugs 7, manifestly, may be located at any desired point at the edges of the lid, and the sockets or slots therefor, are obviously correspondingly located so as to receive and allow the free movement of the said lugs during the displacing movement of the lid. baid slots or recesses may be of any suitable shape but are preferably of such shape as to permit only one end of the lid to be lifted, so that the lid may be initially removed from the seats of the opposite end.

In the drawings made use of to illustrate my invention the lugs 7 are shown as being located below the general plane of the lid, the said lugs being preferably integral with depending flanges G, which in turn are preferably integral with the lid and flush with the outer edges thereof. The flanges (3 are especially desirable in cases where the lid is not very thick. It is obvious the recesses or slots shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are of such shape that the lid could easily be swung around from its upright position parallel to the walls containing said recesses, and thus be removed entirely were it not for the flanges t3, or otherwise the thickness of the lid itself. It will be seen that the flanges 6 under certain conditions, serve to prevent the lid being angled out of its interlocking engagement with the main member 2.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 8 wherein the lugs T are near the plane of the lid, and centrally between the ends thereof, the recesses or slots 8 in the side walls of the main meinher extend from the middle to points near the ends of said walls. It will be observed, there is formed a shoulder 9 in this slot which prevents the lid being drawn to the right, if the right hand end of the lid is lifted first. The object of this is to insure the lifting of the left hand end of the lid first so that the top of the lid will be brought against the right hand end wall of the manhole, when entirely displaced, as shown in Fig. 2. "he lid, in this position, will take up the least amount of the opening normally spanned by it. The lower wall of the recess 8 is preferably inclined so that the lid, when turned on its trunnions to a vertical position, will gravitate to the position shown in Fig. 2. Another shoulder, 10, is formed in each of the slots or recesses, which shoulders serve to prevent the lid being removed from its position at the end of the frame to the center of the head by a force applied laterally thereto, the lid first requiring an upward movement before it can be returned to its normal position. Thus, when the manhole is open the lid serves as a guard, and, preferably, so that a passing vehicle striking against the lid will not close it.

The slots or recesses are preferably open at their bottoms so that the lugs on the lid can be inserted therein when the lid is passed upward through the bottom of the main member. After the lid is thus put into the frame of the manhole the slots are closed by a plug 11 which is shown in the drawings in the form of an ordinary bolt head. Tlhus after the lid is in the frame or main member of the manhole and the plugs are secured in the recesses, the two members are permanently interlocked so that the lid cannot be removed entirely from the main member without disturbing a part of the manhole.

To displace the lid to its guarding or open position, indicated in Fig. 2 when the parts are constructed as shown therein, the left\ hand end thereof is first raised enough to i escape the adjacent upstanding wall of the frame; it is then drawn to the left far enough to free the right hand end of the lid from its supports 5. It may now be rotated on its lugs to bring it to an upright position. As soon as the lid is released from the supporting lugs 5 its weight will cause the lugs or trunnions to slide down the sockets S, the lugs coming to rest upon the devices 11 which close the lower ends of said sockets. \Vhen in this position the lid is parallel with the end wall of the frame and is in close relation therewith, the adjoining corner pieces or supports 5 preferably fitting in the reccsscslQ formed in the upper surface of the lid. It will be readily seen that when it is in this position the lid cannot be rotated on its lugs to return it to its normal closed position because of its proximity to the end wall of the frame, and be cause the bearing lugs have dropped down below the shouldes 10. In order to return the lid to its normal closed position, it must first be lifted vertically sufficiently to carry the lugs or trnnnions above the shoulders 10 and into the main part of the socket. It will then be a simple matter to move the lid to carry the trunnions to the extreme left end of the recesses or sockets. \Vhen the lid is swung around on the lugs or trunnions the left hand end thereof is drawn to the left until the right hand end thereof is free of its lugs 5, so that it can be lifted and drawn to the right onto said seats. The left hand end will then drop onto its seats 5.

In Figs. 4; and 5 the bearing lugs T are formed near one end of the lid 4- and consequently the sockets or recesses S are corrcspondingly at one end of the frame only. in all other respects the construction and operation of inserting the lid into the frame; the permanently interlocking of it with the frame; and the opening and closing of the lid is the same as in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

in the form of the device shown in Figs. (3 and T the channels 8 are formed along the lower edges of the side walls of the frame To close the lower ends of said slots or recesses, and to form supports for the lid when it is in its upright position, and ads to prevent the l'Qll'lOVtll of said lid, retaining plates 13 are bolted to the bi'ittom of the frame. The slots or recesses 8 are of sutlicient size to permit the left hand end of the lid to be lifted sufficiently to free the right" hand end thereof from its supports. In this form of the device the distance from the up er edge of the lid to the center of the healing lugs substantially edual to onehalf the length of the lid. The object of this is to prevent, as far possible, any lateral or endwisc movement of the lid after it has been swung to its vertical position. The supporting pieces or lugs at the left hand end of the frame are much larger than those at the right hand end of the frame so that it is possible to disengage the lid from its supports at one end only. The upper wall of this slot 8 curves downward to form the shoulder 10, said shoulder being so located with respect to the center of the vault that the trunnions or lugs will contact therewith before the right hand end is freed from its supports.

It will, of course, be understood, that other forms of the device may be made, and that the sockets and bearing-lugs or trunnions may be located at any suitable points on the frame; and that the said sockets may be of other shapes than those shown in the drawings, those shown being merely used as illustrations of the device and not with a view of limiting the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A vault head comprising a frame, a lid adapted to fit therein, means to support the lid in position across the opening of the frame, means for pivotally mounting the lid in the frame, means to permit the lid to be moved toward one side of the frame to disengage it from its supports so that it may be turned on its pivots to a vertical position and detachable means carried by the frame on the inner side thereof and in the path of a part of the lid to lock the lid to the frame.

2. A vault head comprising a main member formed with a manhole opening therein, a lid adapted to fit across said opening, sup ports on said frame adapted to normally support the lid, outward extending bearinglugs or trunnions formed on the lid, slots being formed in the inner sides of the side walls of the frame to receive said lugs, said slots being shaped at their ends to permit the lid to be lifted at one end and disengaged at its other end from the supports on the frame, so that it may be turned on its bearing-lugs to a vertical position and detachable means closing one end of each of said slots to prevent the withdrawal of the lid from th frame.

8. A vault head comprising a main member formed with an opening, a lid adapted to fit over said opening, outward extending bearing-lugs formed on the sides of said lid and adapted to project into slots or recesses in the inner sides of the main member, said slots extending to one end of the frame, a shoulder in said slot near the end thereof, whereby the lid may be turned on its bearing-lugs to a vertical position and the lugs be permitted to drop down below said shoulder, and detachable means in said slot to limit the movement of the lid in one direction therein and to prevent the withdrawal of the lid from the frame.

t. A vault head comprising a main member formed with an opening therein, slots or recesses being formed in the side walls of said main member, shoulders 9 being formed in said slots at their inner ends, their outer ends being normally open at the lower edge of said main member, removable devices to close the lover ends of said slots, a lid to close the opening in said frame, depending side lianges formed on said lid, outward extending bearing-lugs formed on said flan es and extending into the slots in the main member.

5. A vault head comprising a main member provided with an opening and formed with a vertical flange around said opening, slots being formed in the opposite side walls of said flange, a downward extending shoulder formed in the upper wall of each slot near the inner end thereof, an upward extending shoulder formed at the outer ends of said slots, the lower outer ends of said slots being open, removable devices for closing the lower ends of said slots, a lid, supports formed in the frame for said lid, downward extending side flanges formed on said lid, outward extending bearing-lugs formed on said side flanges and adapted to enter the slots in the flange of the main member.

6. A vault head comprising a main member or casing formed with an opening therein, a lid for said opening, bearing-lugs or trunnions formed on said lid, means on said casing to support the lid in its normal horizontal position, and means whereby the lid may be supported on the trunnions when moving from its horizontal to its vertical position, and means whereby said trunnions will assist in holding the lid against lateral movement when said lid is in its vertical guarding position, and detachable means in the path of the trunnions to prevent the withdrawal of the lid from the frame.

7. A vault head comprising a casing formed with an opening therein and slots in its opposite side walls, a lid, rigid supports on the casing for said lid, outward extending trunnions formed on said lid, means to receive said trunnions, said means permitting a slight upward and lateral movement of the lid in one direction to free the lid from its rigid supports and thus permitting a lateral movement in the opposite direction to bring the lid in a vertical position against one side wall of the frame, and means LO prevent said lid swinging away from said frame until said lid has been lifted a predetermined distance, and detachable means in the path of the trunnions to prevent the withdrawal of the lid from the frame.

8. A vault head comprising a frame formed with an opening therein, a lid to fit said opening, rigid supports formed on the frame to hold said lid in its horizontal position, slots being formed in the side Walls of said frame, one of said slots being open along its lower end, downward extending side flanges formed on said lid, bearing-lugs formed on said flanges and adapted to extend into the slots, and a removable plat-e closing the lower end of one of the slots, 1

said plate locking the lid in position and preventing its removal from the frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUST W. KURZ. it-messes F. R. MILLER, L. MAGUIRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

